NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Respiratory Health (RESPIRE)

Global Health Respiratory Network

RESPIRE is proud to be part of the Global Health Respiratory Network

Global Health Respiratory Network logo

The Global Health Respiratory Network (GHRN) brings together 10 Respiratory National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Groups and Units and one Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF)-funded project.

It aims to build value through collaboration, enhance the funders' investment and meet our aim of improving respiratory health of the world’s poorest. The Network aims to leverage the capacities of its members to identify new ways to tackle challenges in the Global South and to improve the collective competitiveness and effectiveness of the network members.

The UK-funded Global South-facing research collaborations share a focus on respiratory related illness and on capacity building and multidisciplinary research in active partnership with low and middle income country researchers.

Drawing attention to respiratory health

The GHRN aims to address the relatively low attention levels that respiratory disorders receive, despite being responsible for one in five deaths worldwide. Asthma, for example causes 1000 deaths per day yet only half the world’s countries collect asthma data. COPD also receives the lower levels of research funding that non-communicable diseases receive, particularly in low and middle income countries. The GHRN aims to change funders' approach to both communicable and non-communicable respiratory research, working together rather than in competition with each other.

The GHRN brings those working in public health, prevention, primary, secondary and palliative care research together, looking at respiratory health through a system-wide lens to – most importantly – lead to improvements in the respiratory health of the world’s poorest people.

GHRN Partners

The Network is working to involve partners from countries in the Global South, alongside 10 UK institutions. One aim is to build research capacity in these countries, to strengthen their knowledge and capacity to deliver effective interventions.

Full details of the GHRN partners and a network map can be found on the International Primary Care Respiratory Group website.

GHRN Partners

Publications from the Global Health Respiratory Network

Two articles led by the GHRN have been published.

The full list of publications from the GHRN is available on the International Primary Care Respiratory Group website.

GHRN Publications